Follow the Fader

Rubbin’ to the ‘90s

Two years ago, at THE RUB DJs’ NEW YEAR’S EVE party in Brooklyn, the trio’s countdown-to-midnight was a slaying throwback set of the greatest-ever hip hop songs, year by year, starting somewhere in the late ‘80s. Because we had already consumed enough champagnes that we were hallucinating double Doctor Dres and Ed Lovers, we cannot remember if it was DJ Ayres, DJ Eleven, or Cosmo Baker spinning at that moment, or if they actually even started in the 1980s. But we do remember it was amazing. And ever since, we have been unwavering in our trust of the Rub DJs’ cavernous crates—and fortunately for all beatlovers, rhyme historians, and retro kids, they have parlayed the idea they mined so deftly that night into The Rub History of Hip-Hop" on Brooklyn Radio—an essential playlist of rap's classic joints, broken down by year. This week they celebrated 1994 - Smif N Wesson! Dru Down! Group Home! FADER fave Ill Al Skratch! Before you know it, you will be "lamping" on deep BK rooftops, lighting Ls and dialing DJ Evil Dee on the 2-way just see what's good. Click here to stream the last decade, and tune in next Monday to hear 1995.